Third Church, through action of the Anti-Gun Violence Advocacy Team, is joining the recently formed Rochester Coalition for Reasonable Gun Laws. We have already done some work with the coalition on several occasions, so this recognizes our partnership in a more formal way, as we seek to be part of the solution to the scourge of gun violence.

The cost to our community from gun violence is devastating in both economic and human costs. Yet too little is being done to address it, and when it is, it is met with fierce opposition. The status quo is unsustainable, yet we are people of hope, and believe that change is possible. As a member of this coalition, we are joining other local organizations, including New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, the Interfaith Alliance of Rochester, and the Rochester Chapter of the Brady Campaign, to create that change. We plan to explore areas such as the exact extent of gun violence in our communities, determine how we got here and how it can change.

The coalition plans to host periodic programs of public education based upon facts and research, identify changes to laws from the local to national levels that would effectively address gun violence, and advocate for such changes. We want to move forward and away from accepting gun violence as the norm. If you would like to know more, contact me at lsparks@thirdpresbyterian.org.

Lynette Sparks
Associate Pastor